SUPPLEMENTS TO KNOWN MONOTONICITY RESULTS AND INEQUALITIES FOR THE GAMMA AND INCOMPLETE GAMMA FUNCTIONS A. LAFORGIA AND P. NATALINI Received 29 June 2005; Accepted 3 July 2005 We denote by Γ(a)andΓ(a;z) the gamma and the incomplete gamma functions, respec- tively. In this paper we prove some monotonicity results for the gamma function and extend, to x>0, a lower bound established by Elbert and Laforgia (2000) for the function x 0 e −t p dt =[Γ(1/p) −Γ(1/p;x p )]/p,withp>1, only for 0 <x<(9(3p +1)/4(2p +1)) 1/p . Copyright © 2006 A. Laforgia and P. Natalini. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, dis- tribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 1. Introduction and background In a paper of 1984, Kershaw and Laforgia [4] investigated, for real α and positive x,some monotonicity properties of the function x α [Γ(1 + 1/x)] x where, as usual, Γ denotes the gamma function defined by Γ(a) = ∞ 0 e −t t a−1 dt, a>0. (1.1) In particular they proved that for x>0andα = 0 the function [Γ(1 + 1/x)] x decreases with x, while when α =1 the function x[Γ(1 + 1/x)] x increases. Moreover they also showed that the values α = 0andα =1, in the properties mentioned above, cannot be improved if x ∈ (0,+∞). In this paper we continue the investigation on the monotonicity properties for the gamma function proving, in Section 2, the following theorem. Theorem 1.1. The functions f (x) = Γ(x +1/x), g(x) = [Γ(x +1/x)] x and h(x) = Γ (x + 1/x) decrease for 0 <x<1, while increase for x>1. In Section 3, we extend a result previously established by Elbert and Laforgia [2]re- lated to a lower bound for the integral function x 0 e −t p dt with p>1. This function can be expressed by the gamma function (1.1) and incomplete gamma function defined by Γ(a;z) = ∞ z e −t t a−1 dt, a>0, z>0. (1.2) Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Inequalities and Applications Volume 2006, Article ID 48727, Pages 1–8 DOI 10.1155/JIA/2006/48727 2 Supplements to the gamma and incomplete gamma functions In fact we have x 0 e −t p dt = Γ(1/p) −Γ 1/p;x p p . (1.3) If p = 2 it reduces, by means of a multiplicative constant, to the well-known error func- tion erf(x) erf(x) = 2 √ π x 0 e −t 2 dt (1.4) or to the complementary error function erf c(x) erf c(x) = 2 √ π ∞ x e −t 2 dt =1 − 2 √ π x 0 e −t 2 dt. (1.5) Many authors established inequalities for the function x 0 e −t p dt. Gautschi [3] proved the following lower and upper bounds 1 2 x p +2 1/p −x <e x p ∞ x e −t p dt ≤a p x 2 + 1 a p −x , (1.6) where p>1, x ≥ 0and a p = Γ 1+ 1 p p/(p−1) . (1.7) Theintegralin(1.6) can be expressed in the following way ∞ x e −t p dt = 1 p Γ 1 p ;x p = 1 p Γ 1 p − x 0 e −t p dt. (1.8) Alzer [1] found the following inequalities Γ 1+ 1 p 1 −e −x p 1/p < x 0 e −t p dt < Γ 1+ 1 p 1 −e −αx p 1/p , (1.9) where p>1, x>0and α = Γ 1+ 1 p −p . (1.10) Feng Qi and Sen-lin Guo [5] establisched, among others, the following lower bounds for p>1 1 2 x 1+e −x p ≤ x 0 e −t p dt, (1.11) A. Laforgia and P. Natalini 3 if 0 <x<(1 −1/p) 1/p , while 1 2 1 − 1 p 1/p 1+e 1/p−1 + x − 1 − 1 p 1/p e −((x+(1−1/p) 1/p )/2) p ≤ x 0 e −t p dt, (1.12) if x>(1 −1/p) 1/p . Elbert and Laforgia established in [2] the following estimations for the functions x 0 e t p dt and x 0 e −t p dt 1+ u x p p +1 < 1 x x 0 e t p dt < 1+ u x p p ,forx>0, p>1, (1.13) 1 − v x p p +1 < 1 x x 0 e −t p dt,for0<x< 9(3p +1) 4(2p +1) 1/p , p>1, (1.14) where u(x) = x 0 e t −1 t dt, v(x) = x 0 1 −e −t t dt. (1.15) In Section 3 we prove the following extension of the lower bound (1.14). Theorem 1.2. For p>1, the inequality (1.14)holdsforx>0. We conclude this paper, Section 4, showing some numerical results related to this last theorem. 2. Proof of Theorem 1.1 Proof. It is easy to note that min x>0 (x +1/x) = 2, consequently Γ (x +1/x) > 0forevery x>0. We have f (x) = 1 − 1 x 2 Γ x + 1 x . (2.1) Since f (x) < 0forx ∈ (0,1) and f (x) > 0forx>1 it follows that f (x)decreasesfor 0 <x<1, while increases for x>1. Now consider G(x) = log[g(x)]. We have G(x) =xlog[Γ(x +1/x)]. Then G (x) = log Γ x + 1 x + x − 1 x ψ x + 1 x , G (x) = 2ψ x + 1 x + x − 1 x 1 − 1 x 2 ψ x + 1 x . (2.2) Since G (1) =0andG (x) > 0forx>0itfollowsthatG (x) < 0forx ∈ (0,1) and G (x) > 0forx ∈ (1,+∞). Therefore G(x), and consequently g(x), decrease for 0 <x<1, while increase for x>1. Finally h (x) = 1 − 1 x 2 Γ x + 1 x . (2.3) 4 Supplements to the gamma and incomplete gamma functions Since Γ (x +1/x) > 0, hence h (x) < 0forx ∈(0, 1) and h (x) > 0forx>1. It follows that h(x)decreaseson0<x<1, while increases for x>1. 3. Proof of Theorem 1.2 By means the series expansion of the exponential function e −t p ,wehave x 0 e −t p dt = ∞ n=0 (−1) n x np+1 (np+1)n! , v x p = ∞ n=1 (−1) n−1 x np nn! , (3.1) consequently the inequality (1.14) is equivalent to the following 1 − 1 p +1 ∞ n=1 (−1) n−1 x np nn! < 1 x ∞ n=0 (−1) n x np+1 (np+1)n! , (3.2) that is, 1 − x p p +1 + x 2p (p+1)2·2! − x 3p (p +1)3·3! + ···< 1 − x p p +1 + x 2p (2p +1)2! − x 3p (3p +1)3! + ···. (3.3) Since for every integer n 1 (np+1)n! − 1 n(p +1)n! =− n −1 (p +1)n ·n!(np+1) , (3.4) by putting z = x p the inequality (1.14)isequivalentto s(z) = 1 p +1 ∞ n=2 (−1) n n −1 (np+1)n ·n! z n > 0; (3.5) it is clear that the series to the rig ht-hand side of (3.5)isconvergentforanyz ∈ R.We can observe that, for p>1, (p +1)s 3 (z) = 3 n=2 (−1) n n −1 (np+1)n ·n! z n = z 2 1 4(2p +1) − z 9(3p +1) > 0 (3.6) when 0 <z<9(3p +1)/4(2p +1). As a consequence of a well known property of Leibniz type series we have 0 <s 3 (z) <s(z)for0<z<9(3p +1)/4(2p + 1) just like was proved by Elbert and Laforgia in [2]. It is easy to observe that z = 0 represents a relative minimum point for the function s(z)definedin(3.5). In fact we have s(z) > 0forz<0and0<z<9(3p +1)/4(2p +1). Now we can prove Theorem 1.2 by using the following lemma. Lemma 3.1. The function s(z),definedin(3.5), have not a ny relative maximum point in the interval (0,+ ∞). A. Laforgia and P. Natalini 5 Proof. For any n ≥ 1 consider the partial sum of series (3.5) (p +1)s 2n (z) = 2n k=2 (−1) k k −1 (kp+1)k ·k! z k (3.7) and multiply this expression by pz 1/p ;wehave pz 1/p (p +1)s 2n (z) = 2n k=2 (−1) k k −1 k ·k!((kp+1)/p) z (kp+1)/p . (3.8) Deriving and dividing by z 1/p−1 we obtain (p +1) s 2n (z)+pzs 2n (z) = 2n k=2 (−1) k k −1 k ·k! z k . (3.9) A new derivation give us the following expression (p +1) (p +1)s 2n (z)+pzs 2n (z) = 2n k=2 (−1) k k −1 k! z k−1 . (3.10) Dividing by z and re-writing, in equivalent way, the indexes into the sum to the right- hand side, the last expression yields (p +1) (p +1) s 2n (z) z + ps 2n (z) = 2n−2 k=0 (−1) k k +1 (k +2)! z k . (3.11) Now consider the following series ∞ k=0 (−1) k k +1 (k +2)! z k ; (3.12) we have for every z ∈ R ∞ k=0 (−1) k k +1 (k +2)! z k = ∞ k=0 (−1) k z k (k +1)! − ∞ k=0 (−1) k z k (k +2)! = 1 − z 2 + z 2 3! − z 3 4! + ··· − 1 2 − z 3! + z 2 4! − z 3 5! + ··· = 1 z z − z 2 2 + z 3 3! − z 4 4! + ··· − 1 z 2 z 2 2 − z 3 3! + z 4 4! − z 5 5! + ··· = 1 −e −z z − e −z −1+z z 2 = f (z) z 2 , (3.13) where f (z) = 1 −(z +1)e −z . 6 Supplements to the gamma and incomplete gamma functions Since f (0) = 0and f (z) = ze −z > 0forz>0, it follows that f (z) > 0 ∀z ∈ (0,+∞). From (3.11), by n → +∞,weobtain (p +1) (p +1) s (z) z + ps (z) = f (z) z 2 , (3.14) for every z ∈ R. If we assume that ¯ z>0 is a relative maximum point of s(z)thens ( ¯ z) = 0 and s ( ¯ z) < 0, but this produces an ev ident contradiction when we substitute z = ¯ z in (3.14). Proof of Theorem 1.2. Since s(z) > 0 ∀z ∈ (0,9(3p +1)/4(2p + 1)), if we assume the exis- tence of a point ¯ z>9(3p +1)/4(2p +1)suchthats( ¯ z) < 0 then there exists at least a point ζ ∈ (9(3p +1)/4(2p +1), ¯ z)suchthats(ζ) = 0. Let ζ, eventually, be the smallest positive zero of s(z), hence we have s(0) = s(ζ) = 0ands(z) > 0 ∀z ∈ (0,ζ). It follows therefore, that there exists a relative maximum point z 0 ∈ (0,ζ) for the function s(z), but this is in contradiction whit Lemma 3.1. 4. Concluding remark on Theorem 1.2 In this concluding section we repor t some numerical results, obtained by means the com- puter algebra system Mathematica ©, which justify the importance of the result obtained by means of Theorem 1.2.Webrieflyput I(x) = x 0 e −t p dt, (4.1) while denote with A(x) = Γ 1+ 1 p 1 −e −x p 1/p (4.2) the lower bound established by Alzer [1], with G(x) = 1 p Γ 1 p − e −x p a p x 2 + 1 a p −x (4.3) that one established by Gautschi [3], with Q(x) = 1 2 1 − 1 p 1/p (1 + e 1/p−1 )+ x − 1 − 1 p 1/p e −((x+(1−1/p) 1/p )/2) p (4.4) that one established by Qi-Guo [5]whenx>(1 −1/p) 1/p , and finally with E(x) = 1 − v x p p +1 (4.5) that one established by Elbert-Laforgia [2]. A. Laforgia and P. Natalini 7 Therefore the following numerical results are obtained: (i) for p = 50 and x =1.026 > (9(3p +1)/4(2p +1)) 1/p = 1.023456, we have I(x) −E(x) =0.000272222, I(x) −A(x) =0.000417332, I(x) −G(x) =−0.0108717, I(x) −Q(x) =0.301341; (4.6) (ii) for p = 100 and x =1.013 > (9(3p +1)/4(2p +1)) 1/p = 1.01222, I(x) −E(x) =0.0000690398, I(x) −A(x) =0.000205222, I(x) −G(x) =−0.0107205, I(x) −Q(x) =0.308547; (4.7) (iii) for p = 200 and x =1.0065 > (9(3p +1)/4(2p +1)) 1/p = 1.0061, I(x) −E(x) =0.0000173853, I(x) −A(x) =0.000101731, I(x) −G(x) =−0.106414, I(x) −Q(x) =0.312265. (4.8) In these three numerical examples we can note that there exist values of x>(9(3p + 1)/4(2p +1)) 1/p such that E(x) represents the best lower bound of I(x)withrespectto A(x), Q(x), and G(x). Moreover we state that this is always true in general, more pre- ciously we state the following conjecture: for any p>1, there exists a right neighbour- hood of (9(3p +1)/4(2p +1)) 1/p such that E(x) represents the best lower bound of I(x) with respect to A(x), Q(x), and G(x). References [1] H. Alzer, On some inequalities for the incomplete gamma function, Mathematics of Computation 66 (1997), no. 218, 771–778. [2] ´ A. Elbert and A. Laforgia, An inequality for the product of two integrals relating to the incomplete gamma function, Journal of Inequalities and Applications 5 (2000), no. 1, 39–51. [3] W. Gautschi, Some elementary inequalities relating to the gamma and incomplete gamma function, Journal of Mathematics and Physics 38 (1959), 77–81. [4] D. Kershaw and A. Laforgia, Monotonicity results for the gamma function,AttidellaAccademia delle Scienze di Torino. Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali 119 (1985), no. 3-4, 127–133 (1986). 8 Supplements to the gamma and incomplete gamma functions [5] F. Qi and S L. Guo, Inequalities for the incomple te gamma and related functions, Mathematical Inequalities & Applications 2 (1999), no. 1, 47–53. A. Laforgia: Department of Mathematics, Roma Tre University, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146 Rome, Italy E-mail address: laforgia@mat.uniroma3.it P. Natalini: Department of Mathematics, Roma Tre University, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, 00146 Rome, Italy E-mail address: natalini@mat.uniroma3.it . SUPPLEMENTS TO KNOWN MONOTONICITY RESULTS AND INEQUALITIES FOR THE GAMMA AND INCOMPLETE GAMMA FUNCTIONS A. LAFORGIA AND P. NATALINI Received 29 June 2005; Accepted 3 July 2005 We denote by Γ(a )and (a;z). denote by Γ(a )and (a;z) the gamma and the incomplete gamma functions, respec- tively. In this paper we prove some monotonicity results for the gamma function and extend, to x>0, a lower bound. 3-4, 127–133 (1986). 8 Supplements to the gamma and incomplete gamma functions [5] F. Qi and S L. Guo, Inequalities for the incomple te gamma and related functions, Mathematical Inequalities & Applications